Founded in 1921, Alessi is one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of home accessories, collaborating with designers and architects to create functional objects that are designed to delight and often challenge preconceived notions of how an object can look. Alessi began as a producer of brass and nickel sheet metal and by the 1950s had repositioned itself as a specialist in manipulating stainless steel. By the 1970s and 1980s, Alessi was collaborating with Ettore Sottsass, Aldo Rossi, Achille Castiglioni, Michael Graves, Phillipe Starck, and Richard Sapper – creating design icons that are still produced today. Today Alessi works with hundreds of artists, industrial designers, and architects to create its core collection – flatware, dinnerware, glassware, cookware, office, clocks, watches, and virtually every type of tabletop or kitchen accessory imaginable. Supplementing its vast core offering, Alessi presents two seasonal collections every year that highlight new designers and typologies. Alessi’s designs are included in the permanent collections of museums worldwide. Switch Modern not only shows well over 1,000 Alessi designs on our website, we also have the same commitment to stocking and presentation in our large Alessi-branded store in Atlanta.

Sir David Chipperfield (born 1953 in London) earned a diploma in architecture at London's Architectural Association in 1977 after graduating from the Kingston School of Art in 1976. Upon completing his education, he began his career by working with a number of notable architects including Richard Rogers and Norman Foster. Chipperfield has completed projects in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Some of the architect’s prominent works include the Toyota Headquarters in Japan; Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany; Neues Museum, Berlin; and the America's Cup Pavilion in Valencia, Spain. He received knighthood in 2010 for services to British and German architecture. Other honors include the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize (2007), European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (2011), and Piranesi Prix de Rome Lifetime Achievement Award (2012). While known for his architectural designs, Chipperfield has also collaborated with several manufacturers including tableware for Alessi and lighting for FontantaArte.